_#_Organized labor: until December 1989, a single trade union systemorganized by the General Confederation of Romanian Trade Unions (UGSR)under control of the Communist Party; since Ceausescu's overthrow,newly-created trade and professional trade unions are joining threeumbrella organizations--Organization of Free Trade Unions, Fratia(Brotherhood), and the Alfa Cortel; many other trade unions have beenformed

_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upperhouse or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Deputies(Adunarea Deputatilor)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990,previously President of Provisional Council of National Unity since23 December 1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Teodor STOLOJAN(since 2 October 1991)

_#_Political parties and leaders:National Salvation Front (FSN), Ion STOICA;Magyar Democratic Union (UDMR), Geza DOMOKOS;National Liberal Party (PNL), Radu CAMPEANU;National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party (PNTCD), CorneliuCOPOSU;Ecology Movement (MER), leader NA;Romanian National Unity Party (AUR), Radu CEONTEA;there are now more than 100 other parties; note--although the CommunistParty has ceased to exist, a small proto-Communist party, the SocialistLabor Party, has been formed

_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, andred; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellowband, has been removed; now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad

_*_Economy_#_Overview: Industry, which accounts for one-third of the labor forceand generates over half the GNP, suffers from an aging capital plant andpersistent shortages of energy. The year 1990 witnessed about a 20%drop in industrial production because of energy and input shortages andlabor unrest. In recent years the agricultural sector has had to contendwith drought, mismanagement, and shortages of inputs. A drought in 1990contributed to a lackluster harvest, a problem compounded by corruptionand a poor distribution system. The new government is slowly looseningthe tight central controls of Ceausescu's command economy. It hasinstituted moderate land reforms, with close to one-half of cropland nowin private hands, and it has allowed changes in prices for privateagricultural output. Also, the new regime is permitting theestablishment of private enterprises, largely in services, handicrafts,and small-scale industry. New laws providing for the privatizationof large state firms have been passed. However, most of the earlyprivatization will involve converting state firms into joint-stockcompanies. The selling of shares to the public has not yet been workedout. Furthermore, the government has halted the old policy of divertingfood from domestic consumption to hard currency export markets. So far,the government does not seem willing to adopt a thoroughgoing marketsystem, that is, there is great caution in decontrolling prices becauseof public opposition. The government has sharply raised price ceilingsinstead of lifting them entirely.

_#_Labor force: 3,600,000; agriculture 93%, government and services5%, industry and commerce 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)

_#_Organized labor: NA

_*_Government_#_Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda

_#_Type: republic; presidential system in which military leaders holdkey offices; on 31 December 1990, the government announced aNational Political Charter to serve as a basis for transitionto a presidential/parliamentary political system; the charter will bevoted upon in a national referendum to be held June 1991

_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, andgreen with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; usesthe popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag ofGuinea, which has a plain yellow band

_*_Economy_#_Overview: Almost 50% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector;coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertileland is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have createdproblems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing only16% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing ofagricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffeeexports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak internationalprices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capitaGDP to decline. A structural adjustment program with the World Bankbegan in October 1990. An outbreak of insurgency, also in October, hasdampened any prospects for economic improvement.

_#_Agriculture: accounts for almost 50% of GDP and about 90% of thelabor force; cash crops--coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide madefrom chrysanthemums); main food crops--bananas, beans, sorghum,potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country importsfoodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growthin population

Legislative Council--last held October 1984 (next to be held NA);results--percent of vote by party NA;seats--(15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA

_#_Communists: probably none

_#_Member of: ICFTU

_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-sidequadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of theflag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

_*_Economy_#_Overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistancefrom the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, therearing of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are fewjobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employmentoverseas.

_#_Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad blackband bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged inyellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red

_*_Economy_#_Overview: The economy has historically depended on the growing andprocessing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. Inrecent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumedlarger roles.

_#_Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead;the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

_*_Economy_#_Overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive averageannual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural andtourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expandingindustrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing andother activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however,remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominatedby banana production. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/ortropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK forbananas may end in 1992.

Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-PierreMARQUIE (since February 1989); President of the General Council MarcPLANTEGENEST (since NA)

_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS);Union for French Democracy (UDF/CDS), Gerard GRIGNON

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

_#_Elections:

General Council--last held September-October 1988 (next to beheld September 1994);results--percent of vote by party NA;seats--(19 total) Socialist and other left-wing parties 13, UDF andright-wing parties 6;

French President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995);results--(second ballot) Jacques CHIRAC 56%, Francois MITTERRAND 44%;

French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (nextto be held September 1992);results--percent of vote by party NA;seats--(1 total) PS 1;

French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988(next to be held June 1993);results--percent of vote by party NA;seats--(1 total) UDF/CDS 1

_#_Member of: FZ, WFTU

_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France,local interests are represented in the US by France

_#_Flag: the flag of France is used

_*_Economy_#_Overview: The inhabitants have traditionally earned theirlivelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off thecoast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, becausethe number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre has dropped steadily overthe years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada set fishquotas for Saint Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian andCanadian-claimed waters for three years. The agreement settles alongstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish exports to a halt.The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports come primarily fromCanada and France.

_#_Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (doublewidth), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in aV pattern

_*_Economy_#_Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the mostimportant sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly ona growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues tohave a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on theweather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progresstoward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.